proto04

Hey guys,

New member to the forum here, and looking to get into road biking. Thus far I've done quite a few 8-12 mile trips on an ancient and deteriorating road/mtb bike, and I'm looking to pick up an entry level road bike for the summer to do more/longer trips without breaking the bank. If this becomes something I fall in love with better quality equipment can come in the futue.

Tomorrow I'm going to check out this used bike ( https://springfieldil.craigslist.org/bik/2449575001.html ), and I was just wondering if anyone had any info on the model from both a good and bad standpoint.

Also, the person selling the bike is a long time group rider so I don't want to get talked past any issues with the bike. What should I be looking for besides this:

- Fit to my body size
- Any obvious mechanical/alignment issues
- Smooth shifting through all gears
- Wheel balance/trueness

Also, if anyone has any suggestions for a new rider as far as equipment or common issues I'm open ears. Just filtering through the newbie and common issue threads has been helpful so far.

Tyler

astyler

well thats a really good deal. check the frame is in good condition and ask if it has been crashed. even if wheels need truing or it needs a tune up, your lbs should do it for a small price, and the deal will still be worth it. the big thing is fit, it has to fit you. 5'8 to 6' is a huge range, i think 6' is certainly pushing it for a 56cm bike, generally.

ask for a test ride while he holds onto your drivers license or something

55/Rad

Hmmm...that bike is from the early 90's and though it may be in good shape, it may not be such a great deal. Are you looking for a bike with downtube shifters, steel fork, clip pedals with cages, etc?

proto04

I'm 6' exactly so it may be a bit small. In reference to that, am I just looking for the seat height being able to reach where I can get the right leg angle or is it just an overall feel issue? Sorry if that sounds a little vague.

proto04

55/rad-
Downtube shifters are new to me, so during the test ride I'm gonna cycle through the gears and see what I think. I've heard people say both that they are unbearable and that they aren't an issue to a new rider, so I'll have to see how it feels to form an opinion.

As far as the steel fork and cage pedals, I really don't have an opinion on either. It will be a bit before my ability reaches a point where a steel fork is holding me back or causing an issue, and I was planning to deal with normal pedals for a while before making a jump to clipless so I don't see them being a problem. IF I decide I like everything about the bike besides the pedals I can always throw a pair of cheap bargain bin pedals on for now.

It's worth mentioning, I'm planning to stop by the LBS before going to see this bike just to get an idea of what they have. I likely won't see anything around the price of this bike but it will help to know the relative values of entry level bikes.